Political Quotes

“I yield myself 15 seconds. That statement really rewrites the history of this legislation. I suggest to everybody, go back and look at the opening statement of the ranking member. Also, we have urged support of the green 301 petition. Only three Republicans supported it. I regret the partisan inflection here. I won't engage in it. I hope we get bipartisan support. I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), a gentleman who is so actively engaged on these issues. (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, there is an old Chinese proverb that says, ``A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,'' and I rise today in support of this legislation which is before us to take the first step toward addressing the egregious imbalance between China's currency and our own. For too long, the Chinese have not been playing fairly in the international trade arena, and this Congress has to send a clear message that China must become a responsible player in a multilateral trade. The Chinese export-driven strategy is smart, but subsidizing by suppressing their currency is an unfair way to do it. This legislation is a good step, but it's not my preferred step. I would prefer the United States, together with our partners, bring a multilateral WTO case against China on the currency issue.…”